Catering Services: What Not To Do

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Caterers have a tough job having to prepare food for hundreds of people in one night. This takes planning and strategizing to ensure that the event goes according to schedule. There are lot of great caterers out there that you could learn from and it may be worth taking the time to learn. It’s also a good idea to receive feedback from guests to determine which parts of your food and service they enjoyed and which areas require improvement. That being said, here are a few things that you should not do at an event.

· Don’t be late. Serve the starters, main meal, and dessert on time. The starters being on time is imperative because the guests are hungry when they arrive at the reception and need a bite to eat when they are seated before the speeches start. Serve the main meal immediately after the speeches are done. Guests will become irritable if the main meal is late because they will be starving at this time of the evening.

· No small portions. Don’t give guests small portions of food, unless they request it. Guests will feel like you are skimping on the food and being selfish with the portion size. They will see this as the caterer pocketing more of the cash and spending as little as possible on the ingredients. If a customer pays you for a service, they expect standard or large portions, then deliver the right sized portions. Otherwise you need to manage their expectations before the event.

· Don’t run out of food. If you are catering for 80 people, then make sure you have enough food for 100 people. It’s always a good idea to over compensate. You may work on standard portion size per person. But keep in mind that when it comes to weddings and parties, guests tend to eat more than usual and will dish more than a standard portion. The last thing you want is to run out of food before everyone has been served.

· Avoid dirty catering equipment. Don’t let a single item of dirty catering equipment leave your kitchen. Whether it is a knife, plate or glass, ensure that each piece is spotless and hygienically clean. Guests will remember dirty catering equipment and will not use your services again.

· Don’t be unorganised. Have a team of waiters ready to clear the tables when guests have finished their starters, then their main meals. Don’t leave guests tables cluttered with dirty dishes while you are preparing the dessert and coffee station. Let your team know what is expected of them and when, so that they are aware of their responsibilities without you having to check on them all the time.